But I would have more standing to argue that if I didn't just mistakenly post my "Insurance, but no coverage for the Jackson Tour?" (deleted) comment here instead of under the "Was Micheal Jackson Murdered" thread (added).

I watch a couple of international news channel and am surprised and perplexed by the scale of international coverage.

Iran protests had peaked with coverage somewhat subsiding. I would have been annoyed if coverage had overshadowed the progressive stages of the protest movement and the international politics surrounding the movement.

If coverage continues I will be annoyed. Too many critical legislative things underway. Washington likes distractions while they tax away the countrys future.

I love the way Iranian freedom fighters, when they noticed all-Michael-Jackson-all-the-time was kicking them off Twitter top topics -- unlike whiny nanny-staters keening for others to take care of them -- picked themselves up and got back in the race.

I love the way Iranian freedom fighters, when they noticed all-Michael-Jackson-all-the-time was kicking them off Twitter top topics -- unlike whiny nanny-staters keening for others to take care of them -- picked themselves up and got back in the race.

I love the way Iranian freedom fighters, when they noticed all-Michael-Jackson-all-the-time was kicking them off Twitter top topics -- unlike whiny nanny-staters keening for others to take care of them -- picked themselves up and got back in the race.

No, I am not annoyed the death of Michael Jackson has overshadowed the protests in Iran because in my world the life and death of Jackson are more immediate and important than the political life of that nation of wankers who brought that despicable government upon themselves and in so doing inflicted it upon all the rest of us. I care not at all their access to technology is being denied by that same government because it was they who rejected the pace of modernization to begin with and demonized our culture in the process, a state of affairs in which they, as a whole, persist. So bite me.

I recall viewing YouTube videos of Saudi's moonwalking to Jackson's music. It was hilarious and touching that his music and dance moved even them. So that's something.

To celebrate my lack of annoyance I've Photoshopped Althouse of the lily pond by way of distraction. Presently I'm all wrapped up in Egyptian language and mythology with several projects running concurrently, one of which is the second Egypt-related birthday card due next month containing two pop-up mechanisms. One of the mechanisms took eight prototypes to sort out. I've come up with the most delightful message to write in hieroglyphics that I adapted from a well-known and thoroughly documented tomb located at Aswan, that of Harkhuf, known for his foreign campaigns and noted also for having brought a pygmy to Pepy II who was six years old at the time. The birthday message will read:

"He who opens this book without rejoicing and giving good birthday praise and without gladdening the heart, I will wring his neck like a bird."

There was little difference between the Iranian protestors and the Haitian protestors demanding that the US restore (for the 5th time) - some semblance of order.

Nations of wankers, as Chip Ahoy said, fouling their own nests and bringing it on themselves.

Most concern of the Iranian protestors never went past the "My, that sure sucks, sorry Iranians, better luck next time!" sentiment in most of the American public. No urge to intervene and truthfully, the protests were a one-week thing and had ended days before the Gloved Perv's death.

The demands that the US DO SOMETHING, like bomb immediately, for the Noble Freedom Lovers!! - came from the usual small coterie of discredited neocons. The ones who never served, but see the US as only good for endless wars sucking up other American's kids to fight them.

Last summer, the same bozos were out demanding we send troops to Georgia to fight Russians - In the Name of Freedom and Democracy!!

They just don't understand that after 7 year of war, Americans don't want our guys sent out to bleed and suffer cleaning up other fouled nests, in more endless wars on several continents.

I'm annoyed in general at the way they are covering Jackson's death. He was a pop star for heaven's sake. And a probable pedophile.

As to his death cutting into Iran time, well, that was to be expected. The media certainly isn't interested in reporting about people fighting for freedom nor a president who hasn't a clue how to respond to it. At least not this president.

Yes, it did make me feel better. I might also note that Althouse, Sullivan, and Tammy Bruce all linked to this youtube—and that’s just the ones I know about.

Sissy Willis is right. This is very clever indeed and has helped keep Iran in my thoughts. We might all ask ourselves how *we* would adapt if something very important to us got kicked off the news cycle in favor of quasi-tabloid material.

i am far more furious that the state senate here in ny who can't agree on who will be leader in their playground, held a momment of silence for Michael Jackson! So isnt it just lovely we have government paying homage to a pedofile. My tax dollars at work.

Hmm, don’t get the Sanford thing. Didn’t even hear of him until he disappeared, and the dems are pretending he was the leader of the republican party. Apparently that was only true in 1) the minds of the Dems now they want to use him against the entire party and 2) sanford’s mind.

And then they want to say he was a hypocrite for putting down bill Clinton. Um, is there an adulterer alive who hasn’t said something against adultery? I am willing to bet even Clinton has said something bad about it. And besides, it is Democratic spin that he was being impeached for sex. The actual documents say otherwise.

Or Sanford wasting money while complaining about waste. Mmm, I am sure Obama never said anything anti-deficit, anti-debt or anti-waste, right? And are we sure that Sanford stuck taxpayers with the bill for any of his trips? The last one was only in technicality; he has pledged to repay it.

Really, I don’t get the hypocrite charge. Would it have been better for Sanford not only to cheat on his wife, but to tell everyone how great it is and how we all should do the same? Um, isn’t that worse?

And likewise, which is worse? Wasting the cost of a trip to argentina, or wasting billions by accepting stimulus money? Again, isn’t it worse to be consistent?

All of which is not a defense of Sanford, just a swipe at the intellectually lazy claim of hypocrisy. What he did was frankly worse than Clinton. He abandoned his post. And of course being faithless in any respect is a bad thing. And if he used public money to do it, and didn’t reimburse that money, then that is bad, too, but I haven’t seen that charge established yet. But my condemnation of those behaviors have nothing to do with whether Sanford condemned it too.